Page 28. MAINE COASTAL NEWS September 2008
Maritime History:
Events of the 1890s
Continued from Page 27.
assistance, and under her own power and E. & A. Sewall and now the Arthur Sewall & influenced by frost of moisture. French plate
using the flood tide to her advantage, she Company. The company consists of Arthur, glass has been used above, and cathedral
* * * * * was able to free herself at 1100 hours. An his son William D. and his nephew Samuel S. glass below, which will give an uninterrupted
17 December 1896: A northeast gale hour later she was sighted passing Bucksport. Sewall. Over the years the company has view at all times. The foreman of the joiner
struck the southern New England coast cause The 1,283 ton READING was built at turned out 97 vessels. Sewall knew that the shop, William Melcher, has also added his
an immense amount of damage to several Philadelphia, PA in 1874. She had a length of demand for wooden ships was ending and improvements to the main saloon. One
vessels at Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. 248 feet, beam 37 feet, depth of 18 feet and switched to steel construction with the improvement was to assure that dishes in
It was said that there had not been a storm was powered by a 166 hp engine. She was DIRIGO in 1894. Now on the stocks at the the pantry stay in place when the weather
of this intensity since 8 April 1887. capable of carrying 1,600 tons of coal, which yard is the 3,209 ton ARTHUR SEWALL, gets rough. This pantry is being fitted with
The Calais schooner EMMA is what brought her to Bangor. She had just which had a length of 332 feet, beam 45 feet quartered oak. It was stated by someone,
MCADAM, Captain Swain, broke her chain delivered to the Port of Bangor 1,600 tons of and depth of 25 feet 6 inches. With the 200 “No house in Maine is as good as this yacht
and went ashore at the head of the harbor. coal for the Maine Central, which she had men employed at the yard they can turn out will be.”
She was making a passage from New York to brought to Bangor from Newport News on 1 a ship of this size in six months. Also at the yard is a very unique craft,
Beverly with a cargo of coal. November. * * * * * which was built for Albert A. Root of New
The Rockland schooner GEORGE W. The following day appeared an 14 November 1898: Workers are busy at York. She was built of aluminum in three
GLOVER, Captain Torsey, also broke her interesting article on Arthur Sewall of Bath. Bath Iron Works completing the two torpedo sections, two air tanks and an open boat and
chains and went ashore at the head of the Since 1823 this family has been very boats for the U. S. Navy and a yacht for Col. is 14 feet long and 4 feet 8 inch beam. She is
harbor. She was going from Staten Island to prominent in the shipbuilding and shipping Payne. It was stated that all attention has sloop rigged and will be used by her owner
Boston with a cargo of clay. industry of that city. Not only was he a been paid to the weight of the gunboats so for hunting and fishing. She was also built to
The St. John schooner D. W. B., in leading businessman, he was also a major as to gain as much speed as possible. However be transported in a box and can easily be
ballast, and the Calais schooner political leader, having lead the State of it is the opposite in regards to the yacht. The taken apart and put together. Her first trip
PAVILLION, Captain Clark, also parted their Maine delegation at the Democratic main house is 163 feet long and is constructed will be to Harper’s Ferry, Virginia and then
chains and went ashore. The PAVILLION committee. He was also the vice-presidential with the best materials available. All the back to the State of Maine for more fishing
was making a passage from New York to candidate associated with William J. Bryan’s wood work was overseen by H. G. Turner. and hunting.
Calais with a cargo of coal. campaign in 1896. Some of the interesting features are: the
The Lubec schooner C. E. SEARS, Sewall was also the president of the skylight in the main saloon, which will not be
Captain Allen, with a cargo of coal, parted Maine Central Railroad. When he joined the
her chain and fouled the schooner H. T. firm it was just beginning to evolve into a
HEDGES of Warren, Rhode Island. The transportation business. He played a major
SEARS only broke her main boom and stove role into making this railroad very important
in her boat. to all businesses of the state.
* * * * * Sewall did his best to make sure that the
4 November 1898: The steam collier fruits of American business was taken to the
READING, Captain Miller, left the port of world markets in American vessels sailing
Bangor earlier this morning, under the under the American flag. He was a strong
command of pilot Duncan of Lincolnville. believer in the American workman and the
When passing off Winterport she was products they turned out.
enveloped by the morning fog, and soon He went to Europe and studied their
after she struck Crockett’s Point near the shipbuilding techniques. When he built his
entrance to the Frankfort Marsh. This is not ships he used American materials and
an easy part of the river to transverse in fog. American workmen to complete the task. He
One must stay close to the western shore, also believed that America could build a
staying away from the Frankfort flats and better quality ship, and build it cheaper, than
keeping the red buoys to port. It was thought any foreign competitor. His yards, which
that she passed the first buoy, missed the once turned out giant wooden merchant
second and went ashore just east of the sailing ships, turned to building them out of
granite wharf on Crockett’s Point, where steel, due to the demand for them.
granite is loaded from the Mount Heagan The Sewall shipbuilding legacy began
quarries. This is a rocky shore, but with William D. Sewall and the building of
fortunately she missed the big boulders and the 199 ton brig DIANA. As time passed the
A view of Corea Harbor about 1900.
drove up into the mud. She refused all firm became known as Clark & Sewall, then
Help Save this 100 Year Old Railroad Tug
SATURN is a 117-foot railroad tug built for the Reading Railroad in 1907. She is one of the last railroad tugs in existence and should be
saved for future generations to enjoy. For further information call: 207-223-8846 or make out check to: Friends of SATURN, P.O. Box 710,
Winterport, ME 04496.
Donations are tax-deductible
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